Pokemon: Corruption
by SeanyConks
Summary: In a grittier, more realistic world, Pokemon evolution doesnt exist. Pokemon simply grow into larger forms. Cara works for the Department of Nature and is sent to investigate the corrupt Silph Co in Kanto, sending her on a collision course with Team Rocket and their genetic engineering schemes. Can Cara and her trusty Eevee forms stand against the abomination they created?
1. The Evolution Stones

Ch. 1: The Evolution Stones

Cara put the final plate on the ground and Regis, her Jolteon, who was always gracious enough to wait for the others to be fed, began to eat. Cara had been raising Eevee for as long as she could remember, and she was very proud of her little creatures. Vanessa, her Sylveon, grabbed a piece of her food and presented it to her. Vanessa was a sweetheart, Cara knew, and always offered her some of her food. Vanessa tended to wait for the others to finish eating, to make sure they all had enough, before eating her own food.

Victor and Rebecca were essentially inseparable. Victor's icy body seemed to cool off Rebecca's hot body, and they were essentially attached at the hip. Glaceon were difficult to raise in the city, especially in the summer time, but Rebecca's heat helped keep everything around Victor from freezing. Victor's low temperature absorbed much of Rebecca's latent heat, making them both pretty comfortable and safe.

Angelica, the Espeon, seemed to always be bumping heads with Brian, the Umbreon. As they ate, they snipped at each other. Brian's rings glowed blue as he snipped back. They never seemed to get along, but always seemed to be inseparable. Angelica would always stop when Cara told her to, but Brian was not so obedient.

Isabella always put herself in the middle of the food, because she wanted to make sure the others had clean air. She only seemed to care about that when she was eating, though. Otherwise, she just say in the sun all day. Rainy days she played in the rain with Albert, the Vaporeon.

Cara raised all of them from Eevee puppies. It was clear how they would mature over time. She just could not keep Albert away from water, no matter how hard she tried. Rebecca would try to start fires. Victor managed to find his way into the freezer to sleep every day. Angelica absolutely hated to be in the darkness, while Brian hated being in the light. Vanessa constantly wanted to be held and cuddle. Regis was constantly chewing on wires. Isabella was constantly sitting in the sunlight, usually in a bed of flowers.

Cara was fortunate that she had such a good job at Department of Nature. She could afford accommodations for all of them. The average person wouldn't be able to afford a pool large enough for a Vaporeon while also having a garden that fit a Leafeon's needs and a freeze that fit a Glaceon's needs. Most people in the city ended up with Espeon, Umbreon, or Jolteon. Depending on the district it was raised in, some people got Flareon, but most did not. They adapted based on their surroundings, with certain natures pushing them toward certain things. Had Cara not had a freezer, Victor probably would never have matured into a Glaceon. The only one that matured pretty consistently regardless of location is Sylveon, though it was clear to everyone at the Department of Nature that Sylveon only matured that way when exposed to humans. Sylveon had never been found in the wild before.

Cara's primary job was studying environmental effects on different Pokémon. The different Eevee forms often accompanied her to work, and she kept them around as an ongoing case study. It took years for an Eevee to fully develop into one of its final forms, and little research had been done to determine just what caused it to mutate into another form. The Department of Nature was the Roleo region's governmental body dedicated to protecting and studying Pokémon in such a way.

There was a knock on the door, and before Cara could respond the screen door opened. Cara's girlfriend Elizabeth walked in. They greeted each other with a kiss, but Elizabeth was there for something specific. "Have you seen the new commercials for these 'elemental Stones'?" she asked.

"Elemental stones?" Cara asked.

"Give me your pokewalker," Elizabeth said, taking the pokewalker from Cara's hip. She fiddled around for a moment and then handed it back to her. A video was playing on the screen. There were images of Eevee and a voiceover.

"Do you want your little Eevee to mature into a Vaporeon, but you don't have a pool in your apartment? Do you want your little guy to mature into a Flareon but there's a burning ban in your development? Want a Jolteon but you live on a farm? Silph Co. has the answer! Try our new Evolution stones! With these stones, your Eevee will grow to be either a Jolteon, Flareon or Vaporeon, regardless of environmental factors. Just put the collar with the stone imbedded in it on your Eevee and raise normally. They develop just like a normal Eevee would! Please call the number below to reserve yours today!"

"What the hell is Silph thinking?" Cara blurted out. "There's a reason that these Pokémon mature based on their environment!"

"Well, I looked into it, and since Silph is a Kanto based company, we can't really do anything about it without legislation. Which means if we want to do anything about this, we'll need to lobby for it," Elizabeth said.

"Well, they said 'reserve' a stone, which I guess means they aren't producing them, yet. Is there an estimated time when the stones will be ready to ship?" Cara asked.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth said. "We can look into it when we get to the office."

"Al right," Cara said. "Let's go, kiddos."

AS the Eevee forms finished eating, they got very excited to join Cara and Elizabeth at work. They went with them almost every day, and had a good run of the building. Or course, since it was the Department of nature, there were places for each of the Eevee forms to go comfortably. Sylveon jumped into Cara's arms as she grabbed her things and headed out the door.


	2. The Department of Nature

Ch. 2: The Department of Nature

As they arrived at the Department of Nature, Cara and Elizabeth could tell that there was something wrong. People seemed a bit frazzled and tense, and whenever someone somewhat important left the building, it was frantically and in a rush. Once they left the car, Regis's fur stood on end, ready to launch at any moment. Regis only electrified his fur when something was wrong, he was scared, or he was shocked. He didn't seem afraid or surprised.

Regis was how Cara first came to be interested in Eevee and the way they evolve based on their environment. She happened to be present for the birth of Regis, and was attached to him immediately. Living in the city and his propensity for electricity naturally led him to develop into a Jolteon. Cara watched him change as he hit maturity, and wondered how it worked. She started rescuing more Eevee, hoping to understand their development a bit more. It was believed by some that Eevee held the key to the evolution of all Pokémon. Cara wanted to know if that was true.

The Department of Nature building was large and rectangular, but it also went underground a few floors. It was white, and the only other coloring was the Department seal over the main doors. The shrubbery around was for decoration, but the gardens in the back was where the department studied the development of Victreebell and Vileplume. Victreebell and Vileplume only developed in the wild. Bellossom were rare in general, but they could develop in a domestic situation with the right conditions. Generally, anyone who had an Oddish or Bellsprout as a pet was unable to develop it further than a Gloom or Weepinbell. This resulted in many Vileplume and Victreebell getting stolen or taken from the wild to be sold to farms. It was imperative they discovered what caused them to stop developing to their final forms and see if they could fix it. So far, though, they were unsuccessful, and the Oddish, Gloom, Bellsprout and Weepinbell, along with one stray Bellossom, tended the garden. Isabella was good friends with most of them, and particularly loved Violet, the Bellossom, who always seemed a bit lonely.

Regis stayed by Cara's side, but the other Eevee started to head off in their own directions. Generally, Vanessa jumped on Cara's shoulders and held on with her feelers, while Victor and Rebecca trailed her around. Albert knew headed toward the large late deeper in the grounds, where the Naturalists studied various types of water Pokémon. He enjoyed sliding into the water and sneaking up on them unseen. They enjoyed that he accurately predicted rainstorms with his tail. Brian and Angelica just wandered around playing and fighting, often interrupting important meetings and activities just because they can.

"Don't go too far, Albert! We may need you," Cara said.

She looked to Elizabeth. She appreciated the Eevee, but always complained that they were a bit like children, particularly when there were so many. She preferred some of the larger, more powerful Pokémon breeds and had a strange fondness of ghosts. Her Charizard was always perched on top of the Department building and was as old as she was – which was not too old for a Pokémon, but definitely older than most.

They walked up the marble steps and into the front entrance. The security booths were manned by humans, but an Alakazam named Reginald kept watch. This particular Alakazam was recruited after its past owner died and it was found wandering the streets, competing with a street performing Mr. Mime in a battle of who can make the best barrier. His propensity for barriers is what made him the perfect option for security.

Cara and Elizabeeth each swiped their cards and the Eevee moved through the security. Reginald didn't seem to care about the Eevee, and Cara knew it was because he was most likely reading their minds to determine if they were a threat. She wasn't sure how much of her mind he could read. Nobody was really too sure what exactly psychic Pokémon could do with their powers.

As they entered, Cara saw her boss running down the hall. "Cara!" she called out over the clack of her heels. She was wearing a large lab coat and had long red hair which was presently tied up in a pony-tail and strung through the back of a baseball cap.

"Professor Adams? What's going on? Regis is freaking out," Cara asked, indicating Regis, whose fur had not yet relaxed.

"Sorry, everyone here is pretty busy. The power plant in Novalis City stopped working. We're trying to figure out what is going on," Professor Adams said.

"That power plant has always been a bit sketchy. Could it be a Grimer infestation?" Cara asked.

"You better hope not! They still haven't recovered from when that Muk came out of the sewage system two years ago," Professor Adams replied. "We do think it may be a Pokémon problem, though."

"What could it be? That plant was built using technology developed from the fur of Jolteon. What could stop it from collecting electricity from the air?" Cara asked.

"Perhaps a Jolteon? There was an Electabuzz there once," Professor Adams replied.

"Have you checked the registry? Every Jolteon owner needs to register their Jolteon for this exact reason!"

"No. The phone lines are working. We should be able to check and see if any Jolteon have been reported missing," Adams replied. "Elizabeth, get on that. Cara, can you take some of your Eevee and check it out?"

"Sure," Cara said. "Regis, Victor, Rebecca, let's go."

"Take Angelica with you!" Elizabeth said.

"Why?" Cara asked.

"Because what if there is a Muk there?"

"Fine," Cara said. She looked around the room, but Angelica and Brian had already wandered off somewhere. She looked up to Reginald. "Reginald, can you be a dear and tell my Angelica to come here? We need to head into the city."

"Here, give me Vanessa," Elizabeth said. Cara handed Vanessa over to her, and Vanessa climbed onto her shoulder and sat comfortably there.

Angelica and Brian trotted over, not having been too far. Cara turned to Angelica and told her to come. When Brian tried to follow, she told him that he wasn't needed. He pouted slightly, so Cara caved and allowed him to come.

"Professor," a man ran from the same place the professor came from. He stopped beside her and greeted Cara happily. "The blackout is worsening. It's spreading."

"Are we safe here?" Elizabeth asked.

"We've got plenty of auxiliary power, we can survive a year off of it. Cara, you need to get going," Professor Adams said.

"How exactly am I supposed to get there is the power if going out?" Cara asked.

"Take Elliot," Elizabeth said.

"If I ride on Elliot I won't be able to take five Eevee," Cara said.

"Take the Helicopter. Phil, fly Cara to the power plant," Professor Adams said.

The man beside her was shocked for a moment but then agreed. As the Department of Nature, they could fly wherever they wanted without permits in this type of situation. Cara nodded to him and they headed up the hallway toward the elevator.


	3. The Power Plant

Ch. 3: The Power Plant

The Department of Justice was only a twenty minute helicopter ride to the Novalis Power plant. They were quickly on the ground, and some police officers had surrounded the entranc eot he plant to keep reporters at bay. Cara flashed her badge to the officer in charge. Cara had worked with her before. She was an officer from Kanto who had a large Police family. She was tired of getting confused for her sisters and cousins wherever she went.

"Agents! Finally! Back away everybody!" the officer said. Her Arcanine stood at her back and growled. It was tall and commanded much more authority than she did.

"Jenny," Cara said, giving her a friendly peck on the cheek.

"I'm sure glad you're here. We don't know what's going on in there," Officer Jenny said.

"What did the staff say?" Cara asked. Victor, Rebecca, Regis, Angelic and Brian stayed close to her, but took a more professional look. They understood that they were on official Department business and had to be serious.

"Total power failure. It happened all at once, so they are as clueless as we are. None of our electric pokemon have been able to give any of the computers a jump start," Jenny explained.

"What aobut off site servers? There must be information somewhere?"

"We checked everything and all the data read normal," Jenny explained.

"Well, we have a few theories. There could be a Muk in there causing some sort of disruption," Cara said.

"I doubt it. We'd be smelling a Muk right now. Also, when Muk disrupts Power plants, they usually just plug up a pylon or two. Not this," Jenny explained.

Cara bit her lower lip. She knew Jenny was right. "Perhaps there's an Electabuzz that got to a good point in the plant and is absorbing all of the electricity as the pylons collect it?"

"It would have to get passed a good amount of security to shut down the entire plant at once."

Cara was flustered. Jenny was right again. Everything led directly to Jolteon. It seemed unlikely, but a Jolteon could potentially be powerful enough to pull the elctrons away from the pylons and the rest of the power plant. It would have to be excessively powerful, though. It would have to be Zapdos level strength, though. There were stories that Zapdos occasionally came by the plant, but nobody really believed them except for the children.

Cara lowered her voice. "You don't think it could be… Zapdos?"

"Zapdos came here once. I doubt it would come here again if it didn't stay the first time," Jenny said. "Plus, we'd be in a thunderstorm right now if it did."

"Plusle and Minun?"

"They are always hanging around. They couldn't cause too much damage," Jenny replied.

"Magnemite?"

"No, there's a magnetic proximity security protocol that will stop any magnetized pokemon from entering any areas where the magnetism could do harm. If that system as compromised, we would know about it."

"Raichu don't collect that much energy from the air. A Jolteon would be more likely to cause this. Plus, there are Pikachu and Raichu all over the plant and they've never caused any sort of issue before," Jenny replied.

"It better not be Rotom," Cara gasped.

"Shit you're right those things are obnoxious," Jenny said. "But you have an Espeon with you, so you can get it out pretty quickly if that's the case."

"Well, I guess we can talk about it all day. Gotta go in and check to know for sure. Has anyone gone in there?" Cara asked.

"No, we've kept everyone away. Some haunter are patrolling the perimeter," Jenny said.

"Is there a Magnezone nearby? Could be good to have it on standby," Cara suggested.

"I can call Jasper in," Jenny said, grabbing her radio.

"Do it. Just in case. Come on, kids," Cara said, waving her Eevee forward. They passed Jenny's Arcanine, which growled at them until Jenny tapped it and wagged her finger.

The power plant was dark. The area was large, and many pylons stood in a clear, metal field. Cara had never been there before, but Regis often went there to play when they lived in Novalis. He took the lead, walking toward a dark alleyway. Many buildings littered the plant. Some housed large conductors, others power storage, others control, security, and everything else the plant needed. Since the pylons worked like many electric Pokémon like Jolteon and Raichu, it absorbed electrons from the air around it. It was fairly open, allowing for circulation of fresh air and transfer of more electrons. Each pylon acted like a Jolteon hair, taking electrons from the molecules around it. It often attracted electric Pokémon who liked to harvest electricity in that way, but none were in sight. Regis seemed on edge and uncomfortable with the darkness and silence. Cara tried to light her flashlight, but it didn't work. The batteries were new.

Angelica and Brian moved up beside him. The jewel on Angelica's head began to glow, lighting the area with a red hue. Brian's circles began to glow as well, giving an ambient blue light. Victor and Rebecca flanked Cara on either side. They all seemed on edge. Something was definitely wrong.

Cara tried to figure out what happened to the batteries. Sometimes Regis killed batteries by being near them, but he was pretty good at controlling his electron manipulation and it rarely happened. It certainly wouldn't happen at this moment. Cara turned suddenly to the side, swearing she had heard something moving.

They continued on without another incident for a few more minutes. Cara was concerned. Normally, Pikachu and Pichu scurried around plentifully in power plants. So far they had seen none. Cara was hoping the noise from earlier was some nervous ones in hiding. She heard the noise again and turned to it. Rebecca must have heard it too because she shot a blast of fire to a dark corner. It hit something, which wailed loudly and stepped forward.

Cara's jaw dropped. She reached for her radio. "Jenny? Are any of your Gengar in the plant?"

"We don't have any Gengar right now. Why, do you see one? Stay away from it!" Jenny responded.

"Angelica, Brian!" Cara called. Before she even finished speaking, the two pokemon were between her and the Gengar. The Gengar seemed to be uninterested in cursing her, or fighting, and it disappeared back into the shadows.

"Don't worry, its gone," Cara said.

"Cara, if there's a gengar there, then…" Jenny trailed off.

"…Something is dead."


	4. The Dead Pylons

Ch. 4:

Cara was certain there was something dead there, and she hopes it was just one something. Perhaps something was poisoned and wandered in, or just died of old age. It was very possible, but something told her it wasn't what happened. Something told her that the dead Pokémon was directly related to the blackout.

They continued walking through the plant, Cara trying desperately to make her flashlight work. As much as she loved her Eevee, they didn't generate as much light as she hoped. When she finally gave up, she ripped the lower part of her shirt off and wrapped it around the end of the flashlight. Rebecca lit it for her. She'd ask Rebecca to light the way, but that was asking a lot of Rebecca, considering they had no idea what they were up against.

They moved through a small alleyway and into a field of pylons. The pylons were equally distributed and look uniform, except for some wear and tear most likely caused by Pokémon or weather. Cara was feeling uneasy. The pylon fields were where the Pokémon like Pikachu and Raichu would gather. When they needed some more electricity, they'd just touch the pylon. But none were in sight. It was unnerving.

Something caught Cara's eye deep in the field. "Jenny, I see something. I think I found the dead Pokémon."

"What is it?" Jenny asked.

"I need to get closer, give me a minute," Cara put the radio on her waist and started running toward the lump she saw. It couldn't have been a Raichu, it was much too large. As she got closer, she could tell that it was an Electivire. She grabbed the radio again. "Jenny, I got a dead Electivire."

"Do you think that caused the blackout?" Jenny replied.

"How could it? None of these pylons are damaged," Cara replied.

"How did it die?" Jenny asked.

"Maybe it's not dead," Cara said. She turned to Regis. "Regis, can you give him a shock? See if he just needs a recharge? Maybe he was coming to eat some electricity and passed out before he could get any.

"JOL!" Regis cried out as a bolt of electricity arced from his body into the Electivire. Nothing happened. He did it again. The Electivire did not move.

"It's definitely dead," Cara said.

"What killed it?" Jenny asked.

Cara inspected the area. It seems like the Electivire just dropped dead for no real reason. She looked around at the pylons. "Electric Pokémon often rely on their electrical charge to live, right? That's why they stay near urban areas. They have developed the ability to collect electrons from the molecules around them. That's how we developed these pylons, right?"

"Right…"

"So maybe the pylons sucked all of the electrons out of the Electivire and that killed it?" Cara postulated.

"So where did all that power go?" Jenny asked. "And what about Pokémon like Pikachu and Raichu that live in the plant and have never had that happen to them?"

"Electivire are much bigger than Pikachu and Raichu. They require more electricity to survive. If it was already low when it entered…"

"I don't think so Cara. If it needed electricity, it would probably have munched on some of the lines heading out of the plant before entering it," Jenny said.

Brian made a sound that Cara didn't recognize, but could tell was not good. He had been walking around, checking out the area and searching some shadows. She looked around the Electivire and saw that he was looking down an alleyway at something. "Brian, what is it?"

Cara walked toward him and he began to glow brighter, like he was about to attack something. Cara's torch had mostly burned out by now, and it ward hard to see what he could see. Rebecca shot a stream of fire into the air in that direction to illuminate the area.

Cara dropped the flashlight and it shattered on the ground. She covered her face, attempting to conceal the pained gasp escaping from it. The rest of the Eevee gathered around her and stared. Angelica wailed.

Before them, in the next field, were all the Pikachu and Raichu and Pichu and Elektrike and Plusle and Minun and every other Pokémon that lived in the power plant. Before them were hundreds of dead electric Pokémon. "Jenny, everything is dead. Everything in here is dead," she called into the radio, running toward the next field.

They entered the area and she wasn't sure where to begin. They were everywhere. "Regis, try to shock them, some must be alive still!"

Regis started rapidly firing arcs of electricity into the dead Pokémon, but none responded. They were all dead. Cara lifted the radio to talk to Jenny, but it was dead as well. Regis stumbled, barely able to keep balance. "Regis!"

Cara ran to scoop him up, but he took a strong stance and howled up to the sky. "JOL!" A cloud overhead unleashed a violent bolt of lightning which struck him directly. Rejuvenated, Regis bolted forward, hopping over the dead Pokémon and toward the center of the field. Cara ran after him, but she could feel the energy being drained from her. Something was going on. Something must have been sucking the electrons out of everything in the area.

Angelica seemed to notice something was wrong, as she created a barrier around all of them as they ran after Regis. All of the dead Pokémon seemed to all be facing the same direction, like they were all headed toward the same thing. Regis seemed to understand something Cara didn't, so she followed as diligently as she could. Regis was the fastest of all of them, though, and there was no way they could all keep up.

The air grew colder, and Cara realized that Victor was intentionally lowering the air temperature around them. Cara wasn't sure if they would help, but she felt like it couldn't hurt. Rebecca was randomly blasting fire ahead of them. Brian was randomly breaking things. Cara was not going to argue with the Pokémon; they seemed to understand what was going on better than she did.

When they caught up to Regis, Cara now saw what had caused the blackout. A Jolteon, not fully mature, was curled in a ball on the ground. A circle of dead Pokémon lie around it. It was barely alive, and it looked to them with desperation. It was almost more disturbing than seeing the dead Pokémon. The Jolteon was so young. Its fur hadn't even finished changing color yet. It looked as if it had been ripping some of its fur out. It was in immense plain, and it was tired.

"Angelica, can you do something?" Cara asked.

Angelica erected a barrier around the Jolteon, and the power plant immediately sprung back to life. Cara ran to its side and put her hand on the barrio. The Jolteon looked to her, closed its eyes, and died. Angelica kept the barrier up, most likely waiting for it to be completely dead before exposing it to more fresh electrons.

Cara had Regis give her radio a jolt to recharge it and it sprung to life. Jenny was frantically trying to reach her. "-YOU? WE ARE HEADED IN! HAUNTERS WILL BE ARRIVING ANY MINUTE! ANSWER ME!"

"Jenny," Cara said.

"Cara! Thank Arceus! What happened? What did you do? We saw that lightning strike and then two minutes later the power if back on?" Jenny asked.

"I have no idea what happened," Cara said. She sat beside the Jolteon as Angelica removed the barrier. It was dead for sure now. Cara stroked it lightly. It didn't deserve that fate. As she ran her hand over its head ad down toward its back, she felt a collar. Hoping for some information on the animal, she lifted it up and searched for the clast. Once she had it unclasped, she examined the collar. It had no identifying information, because it wasn't an identity collar. Cara has seen this only once before. That very morning.

"Jenny… this might be an international incident. The Jolteon that caused this… it's got one of those Silph Evolution stones around its neck."


	5. Gengar's Folly

Chapter 5: Gengar's Folly

Cara called the Department of Nature in to clear out the dead Pokémon. Leaving them there too long would attract far fouler ghosts than the Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar that were already starting to show up. The police Haunters were soon joined by Mightyena to keep the ghosts at bay. Though the plant was functional again, the Department of Nature had closed off the area with the dead Pokémon, and were keeping plant personnel out until everything was cleared up.

Cara awaited a transport to take the young Jolteon back to the Department of Nature building. They needed to figure out what exactly that stone did to make it prematurely develop. The Jolteon was laid out on a stretcher beside her and she stood at the helipad waiting. Angelica stood beside her stoically, trying to comfort her. It seemed, however, that they had all been rattled. Regis was the only one of the Eevee that seemed to be able to work effectively after what they witnessed. As the Department of Nature agents collected the dead Pokémon, Regis would shock them to ensure they were truly dead.

A chill ran up Cara's spine and Angelica and Brian leaped to attention, facing behind her. Cara knew what that meant: A Gengar had come. She turned to face it, but was struck with an incontrovertible feeling that she knew this Gengar, and that it did not come to attack them

"Wait!" Cara shouted. The Gengar formed from her shadow and stood face to face with her. She could tell that it was the same Gengar that she saw earlier in the plant. It seemed to want to help. "Did you see anything? How long were you here?"

"Geng. Gengar geng," the Gengar said.

"GENGAR!" A nearby officer shouted, raising his weapon and directing some nearby Haunter to attention. Cara stepped forward and raised her hands.

"Hold! Hold!" She shouted. She looked to the Gengar. "I can't understand you, but can we take you in? See if you can help?"

The Gengar looked at the dead Jolteon and nodded solemnly. It was easy to forget that many ghost type Pokémon were once human. Cara wondered how much of the old human was in this Gengar. She turned to the officer with his gun raised. "Take this Gengar in."

As the officers moved to corral the ghost, a Department of Nature helicopter arrived overhead. It dropped down and Professor Adams and Elizabeth jumped out. Elizabeth scooped Cara up in a great hug while Professor Adams went to the dead Jolteon. She stroked it gently. "Poor thing," she sighed.

Adams looked up to Cara. "Will you be returning with us?"

"No. There's still work to be done here. This Gengar may have some information. I'm assuming they have a Kadabra at the precinct that can get some information from him. I'd like to oversee the interrogation," Cara replied.

"I'd like to assist, Professor," Elizabeth said.

"Very well. Let's get this little one onto the helicopter," Adams said, preparing the gurney to be loaded into the chopper.

"Can you take the Eevee back? I'd like Angelica and Brian to stay, but the others aren't needed. Just in case the Gengar gives us trouble," Cara said.

"It looks like Regis is helping out here," Adams said.

"Yes, but He's been working hard since we got here. He led us to the Jolteon. He's been checking the dead Pokémon for life. He needs to go back," Cara said. She turned toward the pylon field and whistled. "Regis! Come!"

"He won't leave. You know him," Elizabeth said.

"Well he's leaving," Cara said.

Regis trotted toward her with an annoyed look on his face. She was taking him from his duty. Cara leaned down and scratched his ear. He gave her a light zap – this was time for work, not play. "Regis, you've done enough. Go back to the DoN with Professor Adams."

Regis huffed and turned away, showing her just what he thought of her command. Cara stood up and yelled after him. "Regis! You better listen to me!"

Regis ignored her and continued back to the pylons. Victor and Rebecca, alternatively, were glad to leave and were already on the helicopter by the time she turned around. Elizabeth put her arm on Cara's shoulder. "Don't worry, babe. He'll be fine."

"He takes these things a lot harder than the others. That's why he works so hard," Cara said.

"Just be glad Vanessa wasn't here. She'd be bawling for a month," Elizabeth said. Cara laughed lightly. Vanessa was a big crybaby.

Adams and the Pokémon were loaded onto the chopper. She shouted to them as they took off, telling them to catch a ride back with the other Department of Nature agents when they were done. They flew off and Cara, Elizabeth, Brian and Angelica walked toward the entrance of the plant, following the Gengar who was being slowly brought to a transport truck.

The Gengar walked into the truck without any issue. For whatever reason, it truly wanted to help, though she was unsure of what it could do to help them. Cara climbed into the front of the truck, but Elizabeth insisted on riding with the Gengar. She wanted to create rapport and see if she could learn anything about it on the way there. The police objected, but Cara assured them it was safe. Elizabeth was the Department of Nature's foremost expert on ghost type Pokémon, as she was the only one with the disposition to deal with them. Very few people were able to connect with ghosts like Elizabeth did. Despite that, Brian insisted on sitting back there with them, and Angelica would not leave Brian alone, so she joined him. Cara was not interested in sitting with the Gengar at all.

After a short drive they arrived at the precinct. There was a room that was designed to hold most Pokémon. The walls were strong enough to resist a Machamp's strength, a Rhydon's horn, a Magmar's heat, and a ghost's transparency. It was not as effective at nullifying psychic Pokémon, but it was not ineffective.

The Gengar was in the room with Brian, Angelica, two police haunter and a Mightyena. Jenny was overseeing the interrogation. A viewing room adjacent to it had a special screen connected to cameras in the room. It looked almost as if it were a two-way mirror, but since the room had to resist powerful Pokémon, they instead used cameras and a large screen.

Elizabeth walked into the room and gave the Gengar some reassurance. Her breath and the breath of the other Pokémon in the room was visible. "Can you turn the heat up in here or something? You know Gengar absorb heat." She gave the Gengar a small peck and walked out to join Cara in the viewing room.

"You like him?" Cara asked.

"He's very sweet. He didn't like seeing all those dead Pokémon," Elizabeth said.

Jenny walked into the room. She was ready to start the interrogation. The door to the room opened and a small Kadabra walked in. Cara's jaw dropped. It looked so young. There was no way it's powers would work on the Gengar.

"That's your Kadabra? How old is it?"

"About eighteen years old. We had a massive recruitment program and she was the only one to apply. We needed a Kadabra," Jenny explained.

"She'll never be able to get information from him," Cara said. She took out her phone, which Regis had kindly recharged for her after the Jolteon died. She dialed Professor Adams.

"Cara? Good timing. Regis resuscitated three Pikachu and a Pichu. They're being transported to the Pokémon center as we speak," Adams said immediately. Cara smiled as pride for her companion swelled in her.

"That's great, but it's not why I am calling. The Kadabra at the precinct is only eighteen years old," Cara said.

"I'll send Reginald. Send me a picture," Adams said. She hung up immediately. The way Adams could go from play to work so instantly was surreal.

Cara snapped a picture of the corner of the room and send it to Adams. The Kadabra was trying to read the Gengar's mind, but it only laughed at it. The Kadabra was probably effective for common interrogations, but this was uncommon. The Gengar didn't even take her seriously. They watched her try in vain for a few more minutes before there was a loud flash and a snap in the corner of the room.

The police officer all jumped to attention, grabbing their weapons and pointing them toward the corner. Cara and Elizabeth jumped between them. They forgot to give them fair warning that Reginald would be teleporting in. Regis was old, and a little taller than the average Alakazam. He looked to Cara and Elizabeth without expression, but they could sense a kindness and familiarity that was Reginald's equivalent of a smile.

Jenny turned to a microphone at a nearby desk. "Ashley, please leave the interrogation room. The DoN has brought in one of their own interrogator." Ashley turned and walked from the room while Reginald slowly lumbered out the door. The Department of Nature often used Reginald to communicate with different Pokémon, so he was used to the situation. He was often better to use than a Kadabra, not only for his immense knowledge, but because Kadabra tend to be unstable and end up disrupting technology that is around them. Reginald generally manipulates technology to great effect during interrogations.

Reginald entered the interrogation room and closed the door. He stood next to the Gengar. He was slightly taller than it, and let his size be a reflection of his power. The Gengar was not afraid – he was cooperative, after all. Reginald's demeanor shifted slightly, and he held u both off his spoons. After a moment, he let go of the, and they were left suspended in the air. One went on each side of Gengar and began to glow.

The screen got distorted, and another image began to merge with the one they saw. Jenny frantically shouted, "Get me my visual back!" as she urged her technicians to do something. They checked their systems but there was nothing they could see that was out of order.

"It's Reginald," Elizabeth said. "He's trying to show us what he sees."

"He can do that?" Jenny asked.

"Look," Cara said.

The screen image had become clearer. It wasn't exactly clear what they were seeing. It seemed to be nighttime, and something was in a forest. It was staring at a group of young campers in the woods. Cara assumed they were seeing one of Gengar's memories. They were notorious for snatching lost campers in the mountains.

However, the scene quickly changed. There was some sort of commotion, but they couldn't hear it. The campers all looked up to the sky, and Gengar's gaze followed. Something flew by overhead. It was hard to tell what it was in the darkness. "Can you get audio?" Elizabeth asked. "It must have heard something."

One of the technicians began to play with some wires and after a moment they could hear. Gengar had already begin chasing after the thing in the sky. It was unclear why. They hadn't seen anything that would tell them to do so. The creature it chased let out a cry.

"That's a Skarmory," Jenny said. Skarmory aren't native to these parts. They're in Johto, mostly."

"What's it doing there and why is our friend chasing it? And what's this have to do with the power plant," Cara asked.

"Can anyone identify the mountain?" Jenny asked.

"Look, there's a city in the distance. That must be Novalis. They must be at Nova Mountain," Elizabeth said.

"Why is Gengar chasing a Skarmory?" Jenny asked.

"Maybe it's not chasing the Skarmory," Cara said.

"We can only see what he saw, not what he thought," Elizabeth said.

"Look, there's a better view of the Skarmory. Is it, carrying something?" Jenny asked.

Gengar had emerged from the canopy of trees and looked up at Skarmory. It was flying toward the city, and it was clear that it had something in its talons. Whatever it was carrying was large and looked to be some sort of box. Gengar seemed to be fixated on that box. It soared through the air, chasing the Skarmory. Once it met, the Skarmory tried to escape, but it was futile. The box dropped and Gengar chased after it. It crashed through the canopy of the trees and broke open, spilling its contents.

Gengar looked down at the young Jolteon that had erupted from the crate. Without missing a beat, it lifted the Jolteon up and moved down the mountain, heading directly for the city.

"The Jolteon was in that box? Why?" Elizabeth asked.

"Why did the Gengar take it to the power plant?" Jenny asked.

"Gengar probably saw the Jolteon was weak and needed more electricity, so he took it to the power plant. He couldn't have known that it would kill all the other Pokémon," Cara asked.

They watched as Gengar hurriedly ferried the Jolteon to the power plant, the Skarmory's cries growing more distant. Cara leaned into Elizabeth, "We need to find that Skarmory. Call the DoN and have them search for any reports of a Skarmory in the mountains. We need to know where it was taking that Jolteon. We also need to find that create and figure out where it came from."

Elizabeth stepped out of the room to call the Department and Cara turned to watch more of Gengar's memory. As it arrived at the power plant, it was clear that the power plant began to fail. Gengar didn't pay attention, and looked down at the Jolteon, which perked up slightly from the excess power. Gengar laid it down in the center of the power plant and then flew away.

It stopped after it heard the cries of other Pokémon. Turning back, it returned to the pylons and noticed all of the Pokémon moving frantically toward Jolteon. They stated to die off, and Gengar attempted to flee. He noticed an Electabuzz trying to escape and flew down to try to assist it, but the Electabuzz was letting off excess electricity that made Gengar unable to get close. They watched a while longer, until Cara and the Eevee came into the creature's memory.

Elizabeth walked back in. "Adams is putting all our people on it. Finding that Skarmory and that create is priority number one. It's odd, really. Gengar trying to save lives. Normally they want to harvest life energy, not preserve it."

"I think this is a special Gengar here," Cara said. She leaned down to the microphone and hit the call button. "Reginald, that is enough. Thank you."

The screen returned to the view off the room, and it seemed like it was getting increasingly cold in there. The Haunter were playfully wrapping their arms around themselves and shivering, though everyone knew they didn't actually get affected by temperature. Reginald walked out of the room and walked back into the observation room. He stood in the corner he had arrived in and teleported away with a flash and a snap.

"We should get back to the DoN too. Why didn't Reginald take us with him?" Elizabeth asked.

"Give it a minute," Cara said. She called Angelica and Brian to them, but the Gengar just stood there, waiting.

"What do you want us to do with him?" Jenny asked.

"Let him go," Cara said,

"Let him go? But he caused the blackout," Jenny said. "He's dangerous."

"He accidentally caused the blackout," Cara corrected.

"He caused the deaths of about a hundred wild Pokémon," Jenny said.

"Accidentally," Cara said.

"Are you so sure he didn't know that the Jolteon would end up killing them all?" Jenny asked.

"Give him to us. We'll bring him back to the DoN with us," Elizabeth said. "Were he can be monitored."

Cara was unsure if she simply wanted to let the Gengar free, or if she was serious. There was a chance that the Gengar intentionally brought the Jolteon there to kill all those Pokémon, but it was unlikely. Elizabeth was concerned for the Gengar's wellbeing with the Police. There was a reason they had no Gengar in their employ.

"Fine, go get him," Jenny said. Elizabeth ran out to collect the Gengar and Reginald reappeared, clearly frustrated he was sent back to retrieve them.


	6. Recovery

Chapter 6: Recovery

With a brilliant flash they reappeared in the main foyer of the Department of Nature. Cara had only been teleported once before, and it was not a particularly enjoyable experience then, either. Elizabeth lurched forward and sprinted toward the nearest bathroom while Reginald returned to his post at the security gate. The Gengar chased after Elizabeth, but she emerged from the bathroom before it met her. Often teleporting nauseated people, but it faded a few moments after arriving. Gengar made some murmurs of concern, but Elizabeth assured him she was alright.

Professor Adams turned around a nearby corner. "What's that Gengar doing here?"

"We didn't want to leave it with the Novalis Police but also didn't want to let it go free. In case we needed it," Cara explained.

"Lizzie, I'm assuming it will be your responsibility?" Adams asked.

"He seems to be attached at my hip, regardless," Elizabeth said.

"Does it have a name?" Adams asked.

"I was trying to figure it out. I'll let you know when I know," Elizabeth said.

"Did you figure anything out about that stone?" Cara asked.

"Yes. Come with me, I'll show you the test results," Adams said. She turned back around and they followed her down the hallway. She headed toward the main lab with Cara in Tow. Angelica and Brian were following close by, still not ready to leave Cara's side. "Regis was working very hard. He didn't want to leave when they were ready. Seemed concerned that there were other Pokémon there."

"How are the ones that Regis resuscitated?" Cara asked.

"Three are in critical condition. The Pichu didn't make it back. It was too young and weak," Adams said.

"Where is Regis?" Cara asked.

"He's under observation at the med bay. He over-worked himself and passed out on the way back," Adams explained. "We can check on him first if you'd like."

"Is he ok?" Cara asked.

"He just needs some rest. He was asleep last I checked. That Regis is quite dedicated," Adams explained.

Cara wanted to see the tests on the stone and the dead Jolteon, but she couldn't not check on Regis. He was probably fine, but she wouldn't leave him alone in that state. Elizabeth gently brushed her arm, giving her silent permission. "We'll go check the data in the lab. You go check on Regis and meet us."

"Thanks babe," Cara gave Elizabeth a quick peck on the cheek and turned down the next hall toward the med bay. Angelica and Brian followed close by while the Gengar followed Elizabeth affectionately.

They quickly reached the med bay, where all of the medical staff seemed to be working on the critical Pikachu. Cara walked in. A series of small beds lined the walls. Most of them were empty, but Regis was curled in a ball sleeping in one nearby. He had some sensors on his body, though Jolteon did not always respond to normal sensors, so were often unreliable. Before waking him, she looked to the intensive care area, where the Pikachu were recovering in. It was separated by a glass wall that Cara could through. The doctors were wearing rubber suits, as the primary treatment for Pikachu was to refill the electricity sacks in their face. A computer next to each bed showed their charge level. It was drastically low, and the Pikachu seemed to be struggling to keep a charge.

A nurse walked up to her. She was quiet for a moment. Cara didn't say anything either. It was difficult to see those Pokémon in that position. Cara knew the nurse intimately. They were close before Cara met Elizabeth, and was good at her job. After another moment of silence, she spoke, "They're barely keeping a charge. Regis brought them back from the brink, but we can't get them passed it. We're hoping exposure will be enough, but we may need to operate. Silph has some synthetic pouches for this exact situation. We will have to get some, most likely."

"Joy," Cara said dejectedly. "Why did this happen?"

"Isn't that your job to figure out?" the nurse responded.

"How is Regis?" Cara asked.

"He's doing fine. He was running on empty, probably due to that Jolteon. Someone said he called a thunderbolt from the sky? That's impressive," Nurse Joy said.

"He was sluggish before he called that thunderbolt. I didn't even think about it," Cara said. "Can I wake him?"

"Sure," Joy said, walking toward Regis's bed. Cara walked up to him and stroked the top of his head. He seemed to small and weak there in the med bay. The bed was in a small impression in the wall, where healing radiation was slowly sent over the recovering Pokémon. The radiation wasn't a cure all – it simply accelerated natural healing slightly. In this case, Regis wouldn't need as much sleep to feel refreshed.

Regis stirred. His tiny head was about the size of Cara's hand, and he looked up to her. He made a soft sound as he opened his eyes and saw her there. He began to get up, but she cooed him down, telling him to rest. "You are such a good boy. I'm so proud of you. You need to rest now, though. I will bring you home soon, ok?"

Regis whimpered and closed his eyes groggily. Cara gently stroked him until he fell back asleep. Joy had wandered off to leave them alone. They were the only souls in the room. Cara felt very close to him in that moment, but she knew she had to leave. If they didn't figure out what caused the blackout, then Regis's work was for naught.

She slowly walked away, looking back at Regis one time before stepping out of the room. She hurried down the hall, holding back tears. It was difficult seeing those Pokémon like that, but it was even more difficult leaving Regis behind. He was her baby – her pride and joy. She didn't want to disappoint him.

Once she had composed herself she entered the lab. Adams and Elizabeth were standing, looking at some computer screens. She joined them. They stopped talking as they saw her walk over. "Cara," Adams said. "I was just explaining to Lizzie that we've identified some sort of radiation from the stones on the collar, but haven't identified exactly what it is. We've tested some tissue samples on it and we don't see any immediate effects. We'd have to test it on a living animal, which we won't do."

"If that is what you need to do, then that means that Silph is doing it," Cara said.

"We don't have jurisdiction in Kanto," Adams said.

"One of their prototypes just disabled our capitol, that has to give us some sort of ability to act," Cara said.

"We've asked for an emergency meeting with the President of Silph. But there's little we can actually do without their cooperation. If they don't cooperate, then we'll have to do a massive lobby to get an embargo on their products here in Roleo. And if we can't prove it, it will further interrupt Roleo-Kanto relations," Adams explained.

"Do we know about Team Rocket's involvement in Silph?" Elizabeth asked.

"We have nothing solid. We have suspicions but no proof," Adams explained.

"Do you think Team Rocket had anything to do with this?" Cara asked.

"We shouldn't speculate," Adams said. "We need answers."

"Someone needs to look for that box he Jolteon was in," Cara said.

"I think I can get Gengar to take me to it," Elizabeth said.

"It's in the mountains. It will probably take a day or two," Adams explained.

"I'm all right with that," Elizabeth explained. "I can take some naturalists with me and have Gengar lead us."

"Send me to Silph. I won't let them dick me around," Cara said.

"I'm concerned you are too emotionally attached to this," Adams explained.

"That makes me more effective in this situation," Cara said. "The welfare of the Pokémon Roleo, Johnto, Sinnoh, Alola, Unova, and Unova is our concern."

"You can take Elliot," Elizabeth said.

"No. Kanto has made Pokémon transport illegal. You need to take a plane, or the train from Johto," Adams explained.

"That law has Team Rocket all over it," Elizabeth scoffed.

"Well we need to abide by local laws when working outside of Roleo," Adams explained. "We don't dictate policy."

"Get me a flight and let me bring four Eevee," Cara said.

"Which? Not Regis?" Elizabeth said.

"If he's recovered," Cara said. "But Vanessa, Angelica, and Brian for sure."

"I will get the first flight out," Adams said.

Cara walked over to the table where the dead Jolteon was. An adjacent table housed the evolution collar. She looked between the two for a while. She thought about Regis and the work he put in. She wondered how long he would have had to be there in order to be in the same situation as those Pikachu, or worse. She looked at the data they collected. It wasn't helpful. It was unclear if they'd be able to get any useful information from it. Silph was the only place they could go for real answers.

After a short while, Elizabeth walked to her side and placed her arm on her shoulder. "We should get ready to go. Let's go get Regis."

"Yea, let's bring him home," Cara said.

They returned to the med bay, where Regis was awake and grooming himself. Joy had disconnected his sensors and given him some food. He jumped down from the table when he saw them and leaped into Cara's arms. He licked her happily, full of energy. They gathered the other Eevee and loaded into the car. It was late, and Adams had gotten her an early flight in the morning. It had been a long day and the next few days would probably not be any shorter.


	7. Kanto Beckons

Chapter 7: Kanto Beckons

Cara and Elizabeth were up early, as each of their assignments beckoned. The Gengar had followed them home and hung around the house all night, much to Cara's chagrin. Elizabeth didn't mind it, and repeatedly said she preferred to have a trusted ghost hanging around than to not have one around. Cara never really understood why Elizabeth was so attached to ghosts, but she could never win an argument about ghosts either. Cara tried to say that they didn't know the Gengar, and therefore it wasn't "trusted" but Elizabeth retorted that she trusted the Gengar, and that was the end of that discussion. In the morning, she was reminded that the Gengar had ample opportunity to kill them while they slept and did not.

When they had arrived home, Regis went off to his custom made bed and went right off to sleep. Cara was concerned for him. He seemed fine, but he was clearly still tired. She was fairly certain that he would throw a tantrum if she didn't ring him with her to Saffron City, though. He was quite stubborn.

Vanessa, Angelica, and Brian were all ready to go when Cara woke up. She and Elizabeth had stayed up a little later than the Eevee to enjoy each other's company before their assignments, but the Pokémon had slept through it all. A few times they thought they woke Vanessa, but she simple stirred.

Cara walked into the kitchen, dressed and ready with an overnight bag. All the Eevee were waiting for them except for Isabella, who was undoubtedly out in the garden. Elizabeth must have fed them already, as their bowls were spread about with food in different levels of consumption. Cara opened the refrigerator to get some creamer for her coffee and Gengar popped out and shouted in her face.

"GENGAR!"

"SONE OF A BITCH!" Cara started, almost slamming the door on Gengar. "Elizabeth, tell this little shit not to do that before I've had my coffee."

The Gengar laughed hysterically, rolling on the floor beside the Eevee. When they didn't seem to think it was as funny as he thought it was, he started pouting and sank into the floor and out of sight.

Elizabeth walked in with her supplies. "Did he get you?"

"Yea," Cara said.

"I'll make Brian kick his ass," Cara replied.

"Put that in a to-go cup you're running late," Elizabeth said as Cara filled her mug.

"We can make it," Cara replied.

"I'd rather not schmooze your way through security. You're traveling as a civilian, remember?"

"Oh fine," Cara turned and took a to-go cup from a cabinet. "So logical."

"Come on, kiddos. We gotta get going!" Elizabeth said, walking toward the front door. Cara took her bag and followed behind, locking the door behind her. Gengar pretended to be upset she locked the door, but when she didn't respond it gave up the ruse and followed them.

They loaded Elizabeth hiking supplies in the truck first and then tossed Cara's overnight bag on top. Cara was headed straight to the Novalis Airport, and once she was dropped off, Elizabeth would meet with the Naturalists at the Department of Nature. The airport was about an hour drive in the early morning city traffic so they headed out immediately.

Regis sat of Cara's lap while the other Eevee clamored in the backseat. Regis was awake and Alert, but Cara was still concerned about his wellbeing. She wasn't sure what would happen in Kanto and she knew he would stand and fight any odds. It should have just been a simple meeting, but she didn't want to take chances.

They arrived at the terminal with less time than they hoped. Cara gave Elizabeth a quick peck and then shuttled Regis, Vanessa, Angelic and Brian out of the car. She gave the other Eevee a quick peck before herding the others toward the gate. The airport wasn't too larger, but it wasn't small, either. They raced hurriedly across the terminal and through security.

"You're a DoN agent?" the security officer asked as she looked over Cara's identification. "Why are you going through security?"

"I'm traveling as a civilian," Cara explained.

"You can still get through security on the fast line with that," the guard said.

"Well, good to know for the way back," Cara said. She handed the guard her boarding passes.

"You're headed to Saffron? Might work when you go back, probably not though. You're bringing four Eevee?"

"Yes. Regis, Vanessa, Brian, and Angelica," Cara explained, indicating each as she said their names.

"Vaccination records?"

"Right here," Cara handed the woman a set of papers. She looked them over and handed them back after marking each.

"Have a lovely trip," the woman said with an overly friendly smile. Cara smiled back and flirtatiously pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Thanks," she said as she walked passed.

Cara had five seats reserved on the plane, but the Eevee pretty much wandered around the cabin the entire time. Even though commercial flights were the only legal way to fly into Kanto, the plane was not full. Most people flew their Pokémon to Johto and took the train from Goldenrod. Kanto's relationship with the rest of the world was tumultuous at best. Most people only travel there for family or business.

They landed soon, but still long enough for the other passengers to decide whether they loved or hated the Eevee. Many people were intrigued by Brian's unique coloring, but didn't like the games he and Angelica were playing the whole time. They thought Regis was beautiful, but disliked the way he zapped Brian and Angelica intermittently. Vanessa mostly hung around Cara, but the neighbors enjoyed the way she behaved. By the time the plane landed, everyone knew their names.

Cara had a reservation at the airport hotel so she headed there to check in and drop off her bag. She had about three hours before her appointment at Silph, but she wanted to get there early and check out the facilities. She asked the concierge desk for a car to Silph, and once it arrived, she Brian, Vanessa, Angelica and Regis climbed in and headed into the city.


	8. Silph Co

Chapter 8: Silph Co

Saffron was the largest city in Kanto, boasting almost two million total residents. The corporate district was in the center of the city, surrounded by expensive condos and apartments. The outskirts were much lower quality. As they drove through, Cara could see many homeless people and wild Pokémon on the streets. The streets were so dirty that she even thought she saw a garbage bag moving on its own. Rattata and Raticate wandered around and wild Meowth and Persian roamed around in packs. She saw many Poochyena and Mightyena along the way. A few Pikachu and Pichu scurried across power lines and Spearow and Pidgey blighted the skies. The streets were so dirty that there were even Koffing and Weezing floating around. She saw some Grimer, and wondered if they ever attracted any Muk.

It was a shock that people actually lived there. Most of the Pokémon there were attracted to pollution, Cara knew. Having so many there was indicative of the city's status. Kanto's lax environmental regulations were most likely to blame – and those regulations were largely due to Silph Co. As they reached the commercial district the scene was very different. The streets were pristine, the buildings grand and modern. The only Pokémon visible were ones that were clearly companion or worker Pokémon. Police Arcanine were a regular sight – a strong contrast to the seemingly lawless streets of the slums.

The cab pulled up to Silph Plaza. Cara paid her fare and stepped out. The plaza was probably the finest part of the city. There was a large statue of many different local Pokémon on a marble base with fountains nearby. The building itself was the tallest in the city, towering over the others. The iconic Silph Logo adorned its face, probably standing close to one hundred feet tall. She was supposed to be meeting with the president, so she figured she'd be heading to the top floor.

Regis was on edge. His fur was pointed and he was eyeing every person and Pokémon that walked by. The other Eevee didn't seem nearly as worried. Vanessa, as usual, jumped up on Cara's shoulders and stood tall, keeping steady using her ribbons. Brian, also as usual, caught the eye of many people passing by. A small boy tried to get his father to look at the oddly colored Umbreon, but the man was more interested in his phone call. Angelica stayed close to Cara's leg – not out of fear or uncertainty, but because she saw no reason to venture away. Angelica, like Regis, knew they were there to work, not to play.

They passed the large Pokémon fountain in the center of the plaza and ascended the small steps to the main entrance. The main oors slid open as they approached and the Eevee came in closer to Cara, nearly tripping her. She reached into her jacket pocket for her badge as she headed to the security desk. The woman there had already noticed them enter, and seemed prepared to send them away immediately.

Before the woman could say anything, Cara put her badge in her face. "I'm Agent Cara Meyers of the Department of Nature. I have an appointment with Mr. Abraham at one. I'm a bit early."

"Agent Meyers…" the woman behind the desk said as she searched her computer. "…yes, I see you here. Unfortunately, your animals will not be-"

"My companions are DoN agents. They would cost at least three times as much to replace than you would," Cara said, almost reflexively. Nobody called her Eevee animals, especially not to her face. "They go where I go."

"I'm sorry Agent Meyers, but we have rules," the woman said. She slouched he shoulders slightly, and Cara knew she would get her way in the end.

"I'm aware. I'm actually here to discuss with Mr. Abraham those very rules, and about violations of such that I'm sure he would prefer not be public," Cara replied. The woman looked at her with a blank stare. She moved her mouth a little, as if trying to decide to say something, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, she seemed to regain her composure.

"Please, just one moment," she said, turning around and going through a door beside he desk. The lobby of the building was large, but most of it was cut off by the security walls. Another fountain was in the center of the room past security. This one was larger and grander than the one in the courtyard, but featured no Pokémon. The trickling of the waters echoed through the lobby. It should have been comforting, but instead it unnerved her. She was beginning to understand how Regis felt.

After a minute or two, the woman returned from the office with five security badges. She was smiling and cheerful, which Cara was glad for because she wanted to save all her aggression for Mr. Abraham. "I'm sorry," the woman said. "We have passes for all of you. They will give you access to the elevator and stairwell, but you will only be able to get out at the president's office and the promenade level."

"Promenade?" Cara asked.

"Our cafeteria, food court, daycare, and recreation center is up there. You can feel free to utilize it before or after your meeting. There are many free and paid services available," the woman explained. As she handed Cara the passes, she added a brief explanation. "Please be sure to keep the tags visible at all times, so everyone knows you have access."

"Thank you," Cara said. The passes were on adjustable strings, so she placed each one around the necks of her Eevee. The passes were unmarked except for a magnetic strip and a barcode. Once everyone was ready, the woman directed them to a security gate nearby. They passed through a scanner, which Cara knew was probably incredibly advanced. She had very little in her bag – only the classified pictures she had brought to show the President, and a tablet for her to play with while waiting or if she needed to do research.

They passed through security, but the Eevee stayed close to Cara. Vanessa was forced to get off of her shoulder to pass through the security gate, though she jumped back up the moment she had the chance. They knew that since they were inside, it was serious work time. Regis, of course, was the most intense o them all, and his fur stood on edge.

Cara leaned down to him and stroked his head. "Regis, you can't keep your pins up. Someone might bump into you, especially in the elevator. We're safe here."

Regis looked at her sidelong, but seemed to agree with her as his fur slowly relaxed. She nuzzled his nose with her own and they walked toward the elevators.

As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Cara looked up at the massive statue fountain in the center of the room. It was of some obscure person, probably the founder, looking up an into the sky. Water ran down every inch of it and various adornments that draped around it. Water spurted up from the pool below him in intricate designs. Cara didn't like how there were no Pokémon there. One would think that a company like Silph would value them, but there was very little sign of Pokémon at all on the inside of the building.

The elevator dinged open and they all stepped inside, leaving the lobby behind. They still had over an hour before they needed to be at the President's office, so Cara selected the Promenade level. She was sure she could learn a thing or two there.


	9. Dead Ends

Chapter 9: Dead Ends

The Promenade level was a unique experience. In the very center was a playground where both Pokémon and children played. The area itself was round and the walls were all occupied by various different areas. For a moment, Cara seemed to forget she was in a corporate building and instead felt like she was in a mall.

Brian, Angelica and Vanessa played on the playground while Regis stuck around Cara's feet. Cara tried to gather information from some of the workers there, but none seemed very interested in talking about their jobs. She was hoping to find some sort of in. She was hoping to find someone who would say something that could push her in the right direction. She got very little, but she was told a few names that she quickly forgot. After about an hour, Cara collected her clan and brought them back to the elevator.

They went up to the top floor, which was mostly conference rooms and offices for the executive members, but also held some bedrooms and bathrooms in case they needed to stay late. The main foyer of the president's office seemed to be intended for cocktail hours, though it was empty as they stepped out of the elevator. A young man stood at a door opposite them, and immediately went to them when he saw them.

"Agent Meyers? Right this way. The President asked me to accommodate you however I can. Do you or your companions need anything? Coffee? Food?" the man asked, swinging the door open an offering them passage.

"No, we are fine. We toured the Promenade," Cara explained. As they passed through the door, the environment changed. It was much more cozy in this room, and I no longer felt like she was on an assignment. It felt like she was just visiting a friend's office. The man directed her to a series of seats in the corner, all of which looked to be expensive and comfortable.

"Please, take a seat, and we will come get you when he is ready," the man said. He did not leave until Cara sat down and assured him that the Eevee would not stay in one place long.

A few minutes later, a man Cara identified immediately as President Abraham walked out of a nearby doorway and directly toward her. "Agent Meyers," he said, extending his hand. She took it pleasantly. He did not strike he as a bad man, and she hoped that all of this was just some sort of mistake. "It is lovely to meet you, Agent Meyers," Abraham was small and old. His eyelids drooped and he had many wrinkles on his face, though they seemed to be from smiling.

"Mr. Abraham, I'm sorry our meeting is not due to happier circumstances. I'm not here for pleasantries, sir. I'm here for answers," Cara replied.

"Please, come into my office. We will discuss," He said, turning back toward the door he came in. Cara stood up and followed, the Eevee close behind her. They all filed into Abraham's office and he greeted each Eevee with a gentle rub. Vanessa turned her head away from him as he reached for her, so he gave up.

"Mr. Abraham…" Cara began, but the president spoke over her.

"Did you know the story of Alfred Silph?" Abraham asked.

"Sir…"

"Alfred Silph was the founder of this company. Almost a hundred years ago. He designed the very first computer, you know. When they asked him how he thought of it, he said he was looking into the sky one night, and wondered how the stars were connected. Now, the true story is a little more complicated than that, of course – they always are. But we have always held onto the fact that changing the world begins with an idea. We're on the forefront of advancement here. No other company in the world is close. We've created such marvelous things…"

"Mr. Abraham, with all due respect, I'm not here to hear a sales pitch. I'm here to discuss the incident in Novalis City, which was directly caused by one of your company's prototypes," Cara put some papers on the desk. "We haven't released this information yet. The media thinks it was a structural issue."

Abraham took the papers and produced a set of glasses from his desk. He skimmed through them briefly. His kindly look quickly turned to one of frustration and anger. "And how exactly could one of my prototypes have caused this? Total failure of the power pylons in Novalis? We don't build power equipment," he growled.

"It wasn't total failure of the pylons," Cara handed him a picture of the young Jolteon with the evolution stone around its neck. Abraham covered his mouth in disgust. "This Jolteon caused it. Its body had developed prematurely, and it's electroconduction was out of control. It went to the power plant because that was the place with the most electrical activity. It wasn't absorbing enough electricity to survive. They found over a hundred dead Pokémon there around it. Its body didn't develop right, and it wasn't able to utilize the electricity it was sucking out of the air, but it was also absorbing at a much higher rate than is normal."

"That is tragic, but what does…"

"Please, look at its neck," Cara said. He looked more closely at the picture.

Abraham put the image down, his face consumed by rage. He grabbed his phone ad hit a bottom. "I need Mayweather in my office immediately. I don't care, take him out. If he is not here in five minutes…"

He slammed the phone down with a huff. "I have no idea how one of these stones got into Roleo."

"We do," Cara explained. "It seems that the Jolteon was being transported in some sort of crate. A Gengar chased after the Skarmory that was carrying it and brought the Jolteon to the power plant, thinking the electricity would revive it. Someone was having the Jolteon moved over Roleo. Who knows if there are others, and what their effects have ben, or will be."

A man frantically entered the office. "You called for me, sir?"

"I need the reports on every one of the evolution stones," Abraham said.

"Um, sir?" the man, who Cara assumed was Mayweather, seemed confused. Abraham stood up and pushed the photograph against Mayweather's chest. Mayweather, not expecting it, gasped and clutched the image.

He looked at the picture, still confused. "Its neck, Mayweather," Abraham was returning to his seat.

"What the hell?" Maweather blurted out. "Where was this taken?

"Novalis City. Yesterday," Cara explained.

"I need inventory now. Find out where this stone came from. Who lost it, why was it not reported missing," Abraham explained.

"What happened to it?" Mayweather asked. Cara thought he was about to cry.

"It developed abnormally. Because of the stone. If this is one of your current stones, you need to halt distribution," Cara explained.

"Of course," Mayweather responded immediately, but he was immediately followed up by Abraham.

"Absolutely not! Mayweather, you will check our inventory, check our shipments, find out where this stone came from," Abraham explained.

"But sir, we haven't sent the stones anywhere. If one got out, I was taken from R&D," Mayweather explained.

"Could one have been sent out with the displays, accidentally?" Cara asked.

"No. The displays were outsourced," Mayweather explained. Angelica jumped from Cara's shoulder and walked over to him. Her ribbons rubbed up and down his legs in an attempt to soothe him. Cara smiled. Vanessa was always so sensitive to people's emotions.

"You need to halt production until we can figure out what is happening," Cara explained

"We don't have to do anything. The Department of Nature has no jurisdiction here. You have no proof that this is actually one of our stones, and not some cheap imitation. You have no proof that this is even what caused the mutation. Could be a coincidence. But most importantly, you have no power. I met with you as a courtesy, not out of necessity," Abraham began to shout, waving his arms and moving toward her. Regis growled violently, but Cara waved him back.

"The give me one of your stones, or even your notes on them. We'll compare them to our notes on the stone we have," Cara suggested.

"No!" Abraham waved a finger in her face. "You want comparative tests, then you give us the stone you have."

"That stone is part of a terror investigation, so no, I will not be giving it to a foreign corporation. The only real option would be an unbiased third party organization, outside of Roleo or Kanto," Cara explained.

"Get out of my office. Get out of my building," Abraham shouted. Cara turned and scooped up Vanessa, heading out the door.

"The DoN may not have Jurisdiction here, but we'll find someone who does," Cara said. She stormed into the elevator and rode it downstairs. Security guards were waiting in the lobby to escort them out. Cara surrendered their security passes at the front desk, where the woman from earlier was still working. Cara signed out, and as she left, the woman gave her a slip of paper. Cara didn't look at it until she was well away from the building. She was glad she didn't, too. There was a name on it. "The Dojo."


	10. The Dojo

Chapter 10: The Dojo

Cara looked at the paper while she passively walked down the street. The Eevee gathered around her, trying to see what she was so focused on. As she reached the street, she signaled for a cab. What did the Dojo mean? Was it a trap? Was it a message from Mayweather?

A cab stopped in front of her and she climbed in the back. She told the driver the name of her hotel, and he continued on. He tried to make small talk, but she was too focused on the paper to pay attention to what he was saying.

"Have you heard of a place called the Dojo? What is it?" Cara asked.

The driver raised his brow at her. When she looked to him expectantly, he decided to respond. "It's a bar downtown. In a district that, is uh… well it's for people who are a little… more… uh, expressive?"

"It's a gay bar?" Cara asked.

"Yea." The man seemed relieved she didn't recoil in disgust at the explanation. "Why do you ask, miss?"

"I had just heard of it," Cara replied. She was disappointed. Rather than the note being an invitation to exciting espionage, it seemed more likely to be a proposition from the security check girl. She might still stop by later. Her flight back wasn't until the next day, so she could get a drink without a worry.

The driver dropped her off at the hotel and she and the Eevee returned to the room. She called Professor Adams once she was certain it was safe to do so. "Cara. Please give me some good news," Adams said immediately.

"Unfortunately I have none. Abraham was friendly at first, but the second I suggested that the stone came from Silph, he freaked out. He called in one of his R&D people, but the man said nothing had been authorized to leave Silph, and suggested someone from inside the company stole it. Abraham freaked out. I told him to halt distribution, and he threw me out."

"Shit," Adams said.

"Someone handed me a piece of paper with a location on it. I thought maybe they'd give me some secret info, but I think I was just getting propositioned," Cara explained.

"Damn! All right, we'll need to brief the President on this. Will have to pull some diplomatic strings," Adams replied.

"Ha, Kanto and diplomacy?" Cara laughed.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Adams said.

"How is the search for the box?" Cara asked.

"The Gengar is leading the team. I'll update you if we hear anything," Adams explained.

"I'm going to explore the city a little. Might as well enjoy it while I'm here," Cara said.

"Your own dime," Adams said.

"Can't get drunk on the DoN's dime? Come on!" Cara laughed.

"Don't get drunk," Adams replied.

"You're no fun," Cars said.

"See you tomorrow," Adams said before hanging up.

Cara dropped the phone on the bed and sighed. She fell back on the bed and stretched out, Angelica jumping up to join her. She curled up at her side and Cara stroked her head gently. The whole day seemed to be a waste. She learned nothing from Silph, and it seemed she would learn nothing from this whole trip. It seemed impossible to get Silph to agree to let them or a third party review the stones for danger. Abraham would certainly not allow it.

Cara was lost in thought, and after a short while she fell asleep. She was awakened by Brian, who was bothering her for food. A Pokémon food menu was on the night stand, so she flipped through it until she found something suitable for the Eevee to eat. She called down to the front desk to order some food and ask for a cab to the Dojo.

They needed about twenty minutes to prepare the food, so Cara took a quick shower. The food arrived just after she got out and she gave the bellhop a nice tip. The Eevee began to eat, happily, and she was glad, since she was not planning on taking them out to the bar with her. She got dressed, but she didn't really bring any other outfits other than what she wore in the morning. She did her hair so it at least looked like she made an attempt at looking presentable.

It was early evening when she finally left. The cab brought her to a plaza downtown, and the driver explained to her that the bar was among one of the many restaurants and bars in the complex, but she had to walk to it. It was a little busy, despite it being a weekday. She walked along the strip, passing many different restaurants and bars. They all seemed to be themed differently. One was a psychic themed bar where bottles were floating around and fillings cups when people wanted refills. Another was a pool with many people lounging and socializing with various different water Pokémon mixing drinks. Evidently the taste and strength was dependent on the type of Pokémon making it. There was one bar that Cara quickly avoided which seemed to be all about consuming flaming alcohols, and another where the alcohol was in a frozen form.

She walked around, stopping at a cart to get a hot dog, until she found the Dojo. This bar didn't seem to be themed in any particular way, though she expected there might be some fighting type themes. Once she stepped inside she saw that it was, in fact, themed like a fighting Dojo. There were many images of famous fighting type Pokémon on the walls and many pieces of fighting memorabilia as well. Images of the people, famous for their Pokémon, who had attended any of the various events there, lined the walls.

It was dark and loud, like she expected it to be, and there were a lot of fit men in tank tops walking around, even though the weather probably called for a tee shirt. Cara looked around for a bit before deciding to sit at the bar and order a drink.

The bartenders seemed to all be Machamp and Machoke. It seemed a bit odd, almost like they were being fetishized, and Cara didn't want to think too much about it, so she just asked for a simple mix drink. The Machamp who took her order did some fancy work with its four arms, tossing the bottle and cup between them, and it barely even looked at the cup while doing so. If the Machamp could speak human language, it would certainly be chatting away while doing so. When her drink was done, the Machamp handed it to her, flexed its muscles, and smiled.

Cara took the drink and sipped it, smiling back at the Machamp.

She swiveled around in her chair, checking out the area. A small arena in the middle showed two Hitmonchan tossing punches at each other, though they didn't seem to be truly fighting. A group of men were standing in a corner and in a different room was a stage with a male dancer, though it seemed to be pretty low key.

Cara swerved back around and looked up at one of the televisions over the bar. A local baseball game was on. The Vermillion Sea Kings were playing the Pewter Geo Dudes, and the Geo Dudes were losing. Cara definitely did not care about Kanto sports teams, but there was nothing else to look at. She sipped at her drink, and looked around the Machamp for a name tag. She found it on its belt, and actually felt uncomfortable staring at it trying to discern its name.

"Hey, Mickey," she called to it. The Machamp turned to her to give her its full attention. "Can't talk, can you?"

The Machamp made a guttural sound and a face of disappointment. "Aww, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to upset you. I just always thought that you all could be taught to talk. You understand us fine, right?"

Mickey the Machamp nodded and smiled. Cara leaned in and motioned for Mickey to lean in closer. "Do they treat you well here? Pokémon like you are sort of hard to keep safe when so many people think of you as big strong people."

Mickey laughed and used all four arms to brush away her concerns. "Are you sure? Because, you could tell me. None of these guys are ever creepy to you, are they? In Roleo we don't let humanoid Pokémon work in these kinds of jobs," Cara explained.

Mickey looked at her with a curious look, then laughed again, shaking its head. Cara laughed. Though Machamp couldn't speak their language, they were still easy to talk to. She asked for another drink, and as Mickey prepared it, someone tapped her shoulder.

She turned toward them and saw that it was the security woman. Cara smiled at her immediately. "It's you."

"Agent Meyers," the woman said. "Glad you decided to come."

"To be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into," Cara explained. "Could have been getting asked out, could have been getting into some deep espionage."

"Well, have you figured it out yet?" the woman asked with a flirtatious grin.

Cara looked at her and noticed she had some papers stuffed in her purse. She glanced between them and the woman's eyes, trying to figure out what was happening. "I honestly have no idea. What's your name, anyway?"

"I'm Taylor," she replied, still smiling.

"So, Taylor, are those illegal documents in your purse or are you just happy to see me?" Cara asked.

"Can it be both?" Taylor reached into her purse and produced a rolled up folder. She leaned in closely. "Mayweather wanted you to have this. It's all the data on the Evolution stones."

"So he did send you." Cara realized.

"Yes. Abraham has been… compromised," Taylor said.

"You're not really just a desk attendant, are you?" Cara asked.

Taylor looked around, as if to check for creeping ears. "No," she said. "I'm not. I've been trying to infiltrate Team Rocket to find out who their leader is and how to stop them."

"Team Rocket? Do you think they have something to do with this?" Cara asked.

"Almost certainly. They've been all over the planet, collecting different Pokémon and Pokémon parts. They claim it's for profit, but I have yet to be able to find any legitimate sales that sourced from these acquisitions. Sure, a random sale here and there, but nothing that would generate any real profit. They were collecting Slowpoke Tails in Azalea town – Johto – a few months ago, but they stopped after a while. I've been tracking them a while. They go to a place, gather Pokémon or parts, then move on. If they wanted to keep a regular revenue, they'd stick around," Taylor explained. "And they actualy haven't been seen anywhere in a while. They're laying low, which is bad news."

"Who are you with?" Cara asked. "Wait, how is working at Silph going to help you infiltrate Team Rocket?"

"I probably shouldn't say too much," Taylor explained.

"Wait… Silph is working with Team Rocket?" Cara connected the dots in her head. It would make sense that Silph was working with Team Rocket. Team Rocket had control of the region, and would want to spread their influence. It just wasn't clear what exactly Silph or Team Rocket needed with things like Slowpoke Tails.

"Team Rocket is everywhere," Taylor explained.

"Do you know if they sent a Skarmory out west? Into Roleo?" Cara asked.

"Skarmory? I don't know, I've been at Silph for a while, and Team Rocket hasn't done anything directly through here. I did manage to get a look at the power usage plans. Now, there's a facility in the Viridian Forest that is supposed to be a Silph research Facility. I checked the equipment Manifest – there's no way that building is doing what it claims to be doing, the power consumption is too high. It's possible the Skarmory came from that facility."

"What…" Cara stopped. A strange smell entered the area. It was a smell she knew, but she couldn't identify it. "What kind of… research."

"Supposed to be observing local species for evolutionary influences," Taylor noticed Cara's nose crinkling with the smell. "What?"

"Do you smell that?" Cara asked.

Taylor turned her head and sniffed and immediately smelled it. "Get down!" she called, pulling Cara to the ground. "Weezing!"

Other people in the bar began to look at them and make comments, but their comments were immediately in vain as a blanket of thick smoke quickly consumed the area. Cara immediately covered her mouth with her shirt, knowing Weezing's gases to be poisonous.

The other bar-goers began to choke on the smoke and Cara could hear them thudding to the ground. Mickey leaped over the bar, prepared to combat the oncoming Weezing, but it could not see in the smoke. A subtle sliding noise became increasingly louder, and Cara could see a shadow moving across the floor in the distance.

Mickey was attacked by something, though it was too tall to tell what it was. "Bok! Bok!" the assailant cried out as Mickey struggled against it. Another creature, probably the Weezing, joined the fight, and Mickey fell to the ground. A puddle of poison fell nearby, corroding the floor beneath it. Mickey stopped struggling, either unconscious or dead, and the two Pokémon attacking him changed direction. Cara could tell what the other Pokémon was, now.

"Arbok! Go!" Cara cried out. She and Taylor stood up and ran for the closest opening. The Weezing and Arbok were following close behind, and Cara regretted not bringing her Pokémon with her.

They made their way into a back hallway, where the smoke had barely reached, and they followed that to a back exit. They burst out the door into the alley, gasping for fresh air. They couldn't stay too long, though, the Weezing and Arbok were just behind them.

They turned to leave the alley and they were cut off by a sizable Persian. It growled menacingly at them, forcing them back against the wall. Two people walked toward them from the alley. One was a woman, and Tall, with long purple hair, styled in what seemed to be an impossible backward style. The other was a man, with shoulder length blue hair, perfectly straight and thick.

"Prepare for trouble, Agents," the woman said with a smirk.

"And make it double," the man laughed.


	11. Into the Woods

Chapter 11: Into the Woods

Elizabeth sprinted through the woods, trying to keep Elliot in sight through the canopies. He, in turn, was tracking the Gengar, who was hurriedly moving through the forest, fueled by what seemed like desperation. The other agents were following behind, though they were not as eager as she was. Each had a bag with equipment, since they had no idea what to expect from the box once they found it. Adams was worried it was radioactive, so they had Geiger counters and other detection devices, as well as protective gear.

Elliot turned abruptly to the left and Elizabeth lost him for a moment. She stopped where she stood and looked around. She heard the other agents following behind her. The bushes and trees rustled around her. Gengar was silent. Elliot roared in the distance, and she turned in his direction, breaking back into a sprint.

She hurried forward, seeing Elliot intermittently through the branches overhead. She wasn't sure if it was the best strategy, and she would be much happier in Kanto with Cara, but she knew they needed to find that box.

She ran through a Spinarak web, triggering a nearby Ariados to turn and lunge at her. She kicked at it, but the Ariados was too strong. A blast of fire flew over Elizabeth's should, toward the ground, slamming into the ground next to the Ariados. The Ariados, startled, disengaged and disappeared into the brush. Elizabeth turned and looked behind her. Rebecca was standing on a nearby branch, her chest out and mane glowing a dim red glow.

"Good job," Elizabeth said before hurrying forward.

Victor, Rebecca, and Isabella were with the agents, providing protection from the wild Pokémon in the forest. Isabella was blending in with the foliage and, even if she acted, would remain hidden for most of the mission. Elizabeth continued following after Elliot. She passed a few other Pokémon on the way, but none gave her and issue and most scattered when she came into view. On occasion, she heard Rebecca or Victor engaging with Pokémon behind her, but it was always few, far between, and distant. They were not trying to hurt the Pokémon, just redirect them.

She heard a series of screams before her and assumed that Gengar had come across a group of hikers or campers. As she continued forward she entered into a clearing and saw a small troop of children. Some of their chairs and equipment had been upended, no doubt due to Gengar's sudden appearance. As she ran through the camp, she apologized for the disruption, barely noticing any of them. She did notice that it was a troop of Roleo Scouts. They were probably working on their camping badges, but were certainly not expecting a Gengar to appear in the middle of the day.

As she continued passed the camp, she heard the children call out in awe. The Eevee had probably run through, impressing them. Though there were many mature Eevee in Roleo, very few of them were Glaceon. Elizabeth ran for a few minutes longer, keeping close on Gengar's tail.

She came into a clearing ad ran straight through Gengar, who was standing there looking dejected. She slid to a halt ad looked to him. "What's wrong?"

"Geng," Gengar said solemnly. He indicated the ground around him.

"Is this where it landed?" Elizabeth asked. Gengar nodded. The Eevee emerged from the brush into the clearing with curious looks. Elizabeth looked around angrily for a moment before shouting. "Then where the hell is it? Everyone, look for the box. It must be here somewhere."

They searched the clearing for a few minutes before the other naturalists arrived. "Sorry for the delay, we got caught up at that scout camp."

Elizabeth suddenly remembered what they saw in Gengar's memory. "The Scouts! There were campers on the mountain that night. Maybe they are the same ones? That was only two days ago."

Elizabeth raced back into the forest toward the scout camp. She emerged from the brush and one of the troop leaders approached her. He was tall and round and had a beard and long hair tied in an unkempt pony tail. "Excuse me ma'am, what's going on? Are you chasing that Gengar? Are we in danger?"

"No, no, sir, you are not in danger. How long have you been camping out here?" Elizabeth asked.

"We've been here all week. Now what's the meaning of this with you and you friends running through our camp?" the man asked.

"About two nights ago, a Skarmory flew over this mountain carrying a crate of some kind. It dropped it not far from your camp. Do you know what happened to?" Elizabeth asked. Elliot landed beside her, trying to look tough. She gestured to him to stand down and he relaxed his posture.

"Crate? We found it and put it with our trash. Over there," the man replied, indicating an area near a fallen tree. She moved over to the tree as the rest of the agents arrived. She saw the pieces lying there and directed the agents to pick it up.

"Is there something wrong with them?" the camper asked.

"No, we just need to figure out where it came from," Elizabeth assured him. "We'll be out of here soon. Did you see anything that night?"

"We heard something overhead, and we heard the crash, but it was dark. I went to check it out but all I found was the crate. Mostly intact. Didn't want to leave it there, was going to take it to throw it out when we left," the man replied.

"We'll have to take it from here. Thank you," Elizabeth said.

As the other agents gathered the pieces of the crate, Elizabeth returned to Elliot. He was stubborn like she was, though seemed glad that their task was done. She stroked his neck tenderly and he turned to nuzzle her. The Eevee came up to her, Rebecca rubbing up on her legs. It seemed that they had done what they came to do. The agents would have to survey the area for radiation or other issues from the event, but so far it seemed like there was nothing.

She looked around and noticed that the Gengar was not there. She walked back toward the clearing, wondering if he had left. She thought he had felt close to her, so she wasn't sure why he wasn't there now. "Gengar?" she said quietly. She didn't want to shout out, especially since the she didn't know the Gengar's name. "Where did you go?

Elizabeth felt alone. Even though the Eevee were with her, they were not really hers. They were always Cara's, and though they clearly loved her, they were not there because of her. She thought, even if just for a moment, that the Gengar was sticking around because it liked her. Now it seemed that it had just felt obligated.

Once all of the pieces of the crate were collected and the naturalists began heading back toward their trucks, she stood in the clearing alone. She sat in the quiet for only a moment before she heard Elliot overhead. He was laughing. She looked up and saw Elliot and Gengar laughing overhead. It seemed that the Gengar would be sticking around a little longer.

"Come on, you two, let's get back to headquarters," Elizabeth called up to them. They turned toward her and started making their way down to her.


End file.
